Principal Radio Frequency Engineer
- Seniority
- Staff Principal
- Location
- Herndon, Virginia
- Posted
- 5d ago
<div class="content-intro"><p>At Two Six Technologies, we build, deploy, and implement innovative products that solve the world’s most complex challenges today. Through unrivaled collaboration and unwavering trust, we push the boundaries of what’s possible to empower our team and support our customers in building a safer global future.</p></div><p><strong>Overview of Opportunity </strong></p> <p>Two Six Technologies is actively seeking a Principal Radio Frequency Engineer to join our Embedded Security Research team. The team is composed of intellectual individuals, passionate about software-defined radio (SDR), digital signal processing (DSP), and RF reverse engineering. The team is growing and looking for someone with an advanced RF engineering and signal processing background who has an understanding of how to serve as an RF Subject Matter Expert (SME) to lead technical planning, reverse engineer complex RF protocols, and architect solutions for embedded security research programs. If you are actively using SDR platforms, custom waveform synthesis, and advanced DSP techniques in Linux environments, the team wants to talk to you!</p> <p><strong>What you will do</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the technical planning, architectural design, and software execution for advanced DSP/SDR systems supporting critical embedded security research programs.</li> <li>Provide subject matter expertise and technical mentorship to cross-functional engineering staff while solving complex challenges in communications, signal collection, and electronic warfare.</li> <li>Reverse engineer complex COTS devices and RF protocols, isolate PRN codes, and synthesize custom RF waveforms to generate simulated signals.</li> <li>Guide lab build-outs, define software toolchains, select SDR platforms, and validate generated signals using laboratory RF test equipment.</li> <li>Contribute to project scheduling, budget preparation, and business development efforts by leading technical sections for proposals and white papers.</li> </ul> <p><strong>What you will need (basic qualifications)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.</li> <li>Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics (or equivalent military/IC experience) paired with 9+ years of experience in DSP, SDR development, and RF reverse engineering.</li> <li>Proven capability to serve as a technical lead, including experience mentoring engineering staff, guiding project deliverables, and contributing to technical sections of proposal efforts.</li> <li>Demonstrated experience reverse engineering complex RF protocols and COTS devices, deriving transmission parameters, generating custom waveforms, and decoding Pseudo-Random Noise (PRN) codes.</li> <li>Extensive hands-on experience implementing custom SDR solutions on COTS platforms in Linux environments, executing baseline modulation schemes (FSK, PSK, QAM), and performing RF test equipment validation.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Nice to have (preferred)</strong></p> <ul> <li>Familiarity with space-based system signal structures (e.g., GPS L1/L2, GNSS, SATCOM), space-dominant modulations (QBPSK, BOC), and satellite simulation software (e.g., AGI STK) for Doppler shift mitigation.</li> <li>Practical experience using reverse engineering tools such as Ghidra for firmware reverse engineering.</li> <li>Deep understanding of digital communication concepts, including Forward Error Correction (FEC), Viterbi and Reed-Solomon decoding, interleaving, and framing analysis.</li> <li>Prior experience authoring technical white papers, presenting at technical panels, or supporting proposal capture efforts within SIGINT or Electronic Warfare domains.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Security Clearance:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Active DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility.</li> </ul> <p>#LI-ZS1</p> <p>#LI-ONSITE</p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p>Two Six Technologies is committed to providing competitive and comprehensive compensation packages that reflect the value we place on our employees and their contributions. We believe in rewarding skills, experience, and performance. Our offerings include but are not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability insurance, retirement benefits, paid leave, tuition assistance and professional development.</p> <p>The projected salary range listed for this position is annualized. This is a general guideline and not a guarantee of salary. Salary is one component of our total compensation package and the specific salary offered is determined by various factors, including, but not limited to education, experience, knowledge, skills, geographic location, as well as contract specific affordability and organizational requirements.</p></div><div class="title">Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$215,924</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$323,886 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><div class="iCIMS_PageFooter"> <div class="gmail_default"> <p>Looking for other great opportunities? Check out <a href="https://twosixtech.com/careers/current-opportunities/">Two Six Technologies Opportunities</a> for all our Company’s current openings! </p> <p>Ready to make the first move towards growing your career? If so, check out the <a href="https://twosixtech.com/careers/candidate-resources/">Two Six Technologies Candidate Journey</a>! This will give you step-by-step directions on applying, what to expect during the application process, information about our rich benefits and perks along with our most frequently asked questions. If you are undecided and would like to learn more about us and how we are contributing to essential missions, check out our <a href="https://twosixtech.com/about/news/">Two Six Technologies News </a> page! We share information about the tech world around us and